CNN's GUT CHECK | for July 10, 2013 | 5 p.m.
– n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

“IT’S NUTS”: The Cook Political Report’s Jennifer Duffy, speaking to Gut Check about Sarah Palin considering a run for Alaska Senate.

GEORGE W. BUSH IS BACK: “THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN”… Former President George W. Bush at a naturalization ceremony in Dallas: “The laws governing the immigration system aren't working. The system is broken. I don't intend to get involved in the politics or the specifics of policy, but I do hope there is a positive resolution to the debate.”

Sarah Palin has done it again. She has the Republican establishment scratching its head and asking ‘is she serious’?

Palin told Sean Hannity’s radio show Tuesday that she is indeed considering a run for Senate in Alaska. “I've considered it because people have requested me considering it, but I'm still waiting to see, you know, what the lineup will be and hoping that, there again - there will be some new blood, new energy - not just kind of picking from the same old politicians in the state that come from political families,” Palin said. “Sen. Mark Begich has got to be replaced.”

Mark Begich is the Democratic incumbent senator who is in a fight to hold onto the seat he won in 2008.

We reached out to Jennifer Duffy, who is the Senior Editor of the Cook Political Report, where she is in charge of ranking the U.S. Senate races.

Gut Check: What do you think of Sarah Palin considering a run for Senate in Alaska?

Duffy: I think it’s nuts. Let’s look at the polling; she was fairly unpopular among Alaska voters and she hasn’t spent that much time in Alaska lately.

Gut Check: She does have money and name ID.

Duffy: There are good candidates in this race already. This is one of Republican Party’s best opportunities to pick up a seat, but this is problematic for the GOP.

Gut Check: Isn’t it better for her then?

Duffy: Yes, because she tends to run outside the party. The worst thing she could do is run as an independent. The great irony for her is that she said there was a need for new blood and new faces, because she isn’t one.

Duffy: There would be no change to the race rating unless she wins the nomination. There would be money - just not a lot from Alaska…Look, Democrats want this to happen; this is their dream for one of their most vulnerable incumbents; they will be her first contribution: ‘How can we help?’

Gut Check: Is it a bluff?

Duffy: With Sarah Palin you never know; this puts her back where she likes to be, in the media spotlight. It’s a 50-50 proposition.

Gut Check: Can you imagine a Senate with Sarah Palin?

Duffy: She’d make Ted Cruz look establishment.

the LEDEDid you miss it?

Leading CNNPolitics:New allegations against McDonnell emerge
As Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell faces mounting pressure over his ties with a top political donor, a new report details more potentially damaging claims involving the governor and undisclosed donations.

Leading Drudge:Upstream: U.S. Taps Undersea Cables
Recent debate over U.S. government surveillance has focused on the information that American technology companies secretly provide to the National Security Agency. But that is only one of the ways the NSA eavesdrops on international communications. A classified NSA slide obtained by The Washington Post and published here for the first time lists “Two Types of Collection.” – Craig Timberg for The Washington Post

Leading HuffPo:Over The Line
In the courts of law and public opinion, congressional Republicans increasingly accuse President Barack Obama of exceeding his constitutional authority for the benefit of special interests, most recently by delaying a requirement for businesses to provide health care for their workers. – David Espo for the AP

Leading Politico:Immigration reform heads for slow death
Republicans walked away from their 2012 debacle hell-bent on fixing their problems with Hispanics. Now, they appear hell-bent on making them worse. – Mike Allen and Jim Vandehei

- State moving towards softer language on Egypt coup -SPOKESPERSON JEN PSAKI AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT PRESS BRIEFING: “This is not a situation where you know, he was democratically elected, which of course he was, but the voices of the 22 million people, they spoke out about the way he was governed, governing, I'm sorry. So that is a unique circumstance, that's not for the United States to judge, what the voices of the Egyptian people are saying. What we're encouraging them to do now, is move towards a democratic, a sustainable democratic process.”

- Language watch: “A healthcare dictatorship” -REPUBLICAN REP. SAM JOHNSON OF TEXAS AT A HEARING ON CAPITOL HILL: “I hate to see a dictatorship come into this country, but it sure looks like that's what's happening with healthcare.”

- Biden talks tough at China forum - VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AT A UNITED STATES-CHINA FORUM: “We both will benefit from an open, secure, reliable internet. Outright cyber enabling theft that U.S. companies are experiencing now must be viewed as out-of-bounds and needs to stop.”

TOP TWEETSWhat stopped us in 140 characters or less

Texas House has approved a measure that would place broad new restrictions on abortions in the state. #CNN#BREAKING#HB2

When William Jennings Bryan heard of Tennessee's Scopes trial, a case that pinned believers in creationism and believers in evolution against each other, the three-time Democratic presidential candidate and outspoken evangelical helped argue in favor of creationism.

John Thomas Scopes, a young Tennessee teacher, was accused of teaching his class about evolution - an action that broke Tennessee's Butler Act, which made teaching evolution in any public school illegal. He – along with the help of the ACLU – challenged the law and the Scopes trial began on this day in 1925.

Bryan had long been a supporter of the Butler Act. After it was signed into law, he praised the bill, stating "the Christian parents of the state owe you a debt of gratitude for saving their children from the poisonous influence of an unproven hypothesis."

The trial drew hordes of media attention to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee.

After eight days of testimony, a jury found Scopes guilty and forced him to pay a $100 fine. Although the defense appealed the case to the Tennessee Supreme Court, the high court upheld the statute that forbade the teaching of evolution.

Decades later, though, in the case Epperson v. Arkansas, the United States Supreme Court ruled that laws like the Butler Act violated the Establishment Clause, making them unconstitutional.

GUT CHECK WINNER’S CIRCLE (why aren’t you in it)

Congrats to Edith Chapin (@EdithChapin) for correctly answering Gut Check trivia. We miss seeing Edith at CNN so are happy to reunite with her in the winner’s circle.

soundoff(49 Responses)

truth hurts but reality bites

“The laws governing the immigration system aren't working. The system is broken."
-

Wrong. Dead wrong sir. The laws aren't working because the federal government isn't enforcing them. The laws aren't working because the federal government attacks and sues anybody else that tries to enforce the laws. The system is NOT broken. The people we have put into office are broken in that they refuse to do the job they have sworn to do and are being paid to do.

Paying new laws will make not one iota of difference. New laws that they do not like wil lagain, not be enforced, or will be waived. The politicalization of our legal system is destroying the trust of the American people in their government. The latest occurrence of this is barely a week old. Obama refuses to implement Obamacare as the law requires because it would hurt the Deomcrats in the 2014 election.

July 10, 2013 05:29 pm at 5:29 pm |

tom l.

@Dominican, Lynda, rs, Sniffit, Rudy, Dutch,
I would love to hear your feedback on the how our President has decided to enforce some laws but not others. I keep being told that the ACA is the law of the land and I should just deal with it. However, our President feels that certain parts don't need to be enforced and I'm curious as to what you lovely lefties think of that.

July 10, 2013 05:54 pm at 5:54 pm |

Madeline

I think George Bush SHOULD get involved. I mean, just because he's not currently elected, that shouldn't stop him. It's never stopped Hillary "Godham" Clinton.

July 10, 2013 06:11 pm at 6:11 pm |

steve

The only thing Sarah is serious about is keeping her "brand" going to keep the $$ flowing!s

July 10, 2013 06:12 pm at 6:12 pm |

John

@Ray E.: You must be from Alaska where there are very few women to compare because if you think Palin is "great" in any way, you've set your bar extraordinarily low.

July 10, 2013 06:15 pm at 6:15 pm |

timelord7202

Didn't Reagan fix the system with his amnesty program in 1986? If you're going to say it's broken, really get into detail. Of course, look at the guy (GWB) trying to say it... sad.

And Palin? She quit her role as governor and, in the past, quit her job on a oil company board. Quitters are not great people and most of us don't tell people to quit.

July 10, 2013 06:15 pm at 6:15 pm |

TrustKnow1

George W. Bush pontificating on immigration while being a primary supporter of NAFTA! This coming from a war criminal whose inner circle of war mongers made millions perpetuating the policy of never ending global warfare. When will you sheep wake up? Think more... Follow less... The truth is out there!

July 10, 2013 06:17 pm at 6:17 pm |

timelord7202

@truth hurts but reality bites –

Look up articles like "romneycare-and-obamacare-can-you-tell-difference" and is it really Obama's plan, what with his doing speeches in 2003 promoting single-payer? Knowing that, would that not have affected Obama in election 2012, the same one where he is on record saying he would go more than halfway to meet republicans if re-elected (while noting he's been a closet republican by extending Bush tax cuts, payroll tax cuts (that help worsen the social security problems), and a number of other things – some making more sense than others)

I otherwise agree with you; they are unable or unwilling to enforce existing laws.

Have you looked at Obama's deportation numbers? Sorry, the truth does hurt.

July 10, 2013 06:24 pm at 6:24 pm |

boungiorno

the reason the system is broken is because there is no justification when it comes to anyones actions

July 10, 2013 06:24 pm at 6:24 pm |

esoteric3

“I've considered it because people have requested me considering it, but I'm still waiting to see, you know, what the lineup will be and hoping that, there again – there will be some new blood, new energy – not just kind of picking from the same old politicians in the state that come from political families,” Palin said. “Sen. Mark Begich has got to be replaced.”
This is quite possibly the worst series of words ever assembled in the history of political rehtoric...she is an idiot

July 10, 2013 06:27 pm at 6:27 pm |

What what

Maybe if they actually tried to enforce the laws, we would see what's broken. The only thing I see broken are the politicians morals

July 10, 2013 06:43 pm at 6:43 pm |

System Is Broken

The system was so obviously broken in Florida back in 2000 when this country was forced to witness a JUDICIAL COUP!!!

July 10, 2013 06:43 pm at 6:43 pm |

Dan

Failin', Palin is at it again. She quits her job as Alaska governor and expects the people from Alaska to vote for her as a senator? The people of Alaska are on to Caribou Barbie and her pursuit of money.

July 10, 2013 06:43 pm at 6:43 pm |

NorCalMojo

The problem is corruption in government. The same corrupt politicians and bureaucrats will look the other way with any new laws. Start firing ICE and INS officials and the problem will get cleaned up real quick.

July 10, 2013 06:46 pm at 6:46 pm |

ManWithThe1000PoundBrain

@truth hurts but reality bites What you just said is basically the same thing Bush said. The laws aren't working and the system is broken. Yes, that is what you said. You just described how the laws and the system are not working and, btw, a constituency of the GOP is largely responsible for that–the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the businesses that want cheap labor are the main lobbying group that has been advocating for weak laws and enforcement–because they want CHEAP LABOR. So, stop blaming the "liberals." And much of Obamacare is already implemented. For example, improved preventative care requirements for private health plans, a ban on pre-existing conditions and coverage caps for children, free preventative care for people on Medicare with improved prescription drug coverage, kids can stay on their parent's policies up to age 26, even if they are married. And there are other features that are still going to be kicking in in 2013 and 2014. So, yes, most of it is being implemented as planned.

July 10, 2013 06:53 pm at 6:53 pm |

don

bush should crawl back into his hole.

July 10, 2013 06:54 pm at 6:54 pm |

Bob H (Florida)

Why is this nutcase (Palin) still in the public eye? Nothing she says is worth the time to listen to or read.

July 10, 2013 06:59 pm at 6:59 pm |

Gurgyl

Just a clown in USA

July 10, 2013 07:05 pm at 7:05 pm |

Adam

It's one thing to know a word and its another to know the meaning of the word. Unfortunately, Palin knows few words and the meaning of even fewer.

July 10, 2013 07:08 pm at 7:08 pm |

gahh

Dry up the jobs, and illegals will be forced to go home, oh yeah, stop giving them welfare. Let the anchor babies get in line with other illegals, who come here legally, or don't come here at all. There wouldn't be any problems with our laws, if ICE could enforce them, but Obama won't let them. Just because the illegals voted for Obama, doesn't mean we the legal Americans, have to put up with this.

July 10, 2013 07:11 pm at 7:11 pm |

Becky B.

Like Bush's system worked?

July 10, 2013 07:32 pm at 7:32 pm |

rs

Things are really bad for the GOP when former President Bush (GEORGE W. BUSH IS BACK: “THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN”… ) can see the problem, and the current party leadership is paralyzed by the racism and stupidity of their base.
They are giving the Democratic Party the votes of Hispanics and immigrants, Blacks and most recently women. The GOP is doomed.
The GOP is being held hostage by some of the most radical in our society- they cannot win elections at the national level as long as they keep pandering to the "Whites only" crowd.

July 10, 2013 08:03 pm at 8:03 pm |

DWT

The system is working, but dysfunctional because gerrymandering is part of the system. Explain why 51% of North Carolina voters voted Democratic in 2010 but only 3 of 13 House seats went to Democrats.